Your Money Map

Howard Dayton -

Based on the  “Money Map” concept created by Crown Financial Ministries, this book provides a practical, biblical “roadmap” for personal money management.

Howard Dayton is uniquely suited to offer this excellent resource. He is the co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries and the host of its nationally syndicated radio program Money Matters. Additionally, Howard’s books and small-group financial studies have been used by hundreds of thousands of churches and individuals.

One of the first things this reviewer noticed was how Your Money Map seems to invite comparison to Dave Ramsey’s successful Financial Peace University (FPU) program, as both FPU and Your Money Map are built around seven (very similar) steps to financial freedom. Yet although there are some strong similarities in approach between the two programs, Your Money Map is well worth looking into as it offers five unique benefits for people who want to handle money God’s way:

Bible-Centered. While Ramsey’s FPU program certainly includes Bible references (and Dave makes no apologies for his faith in Christ), Your Money Map - in the trademark style of Crown Financial Ministries - weaves in frequent references to Scripture, prayer, and the Lord throughout its explanations of money management (as well as the plan of salvation with illustrations).

Cost. The Your Money Map book retails for $16 – while the Financial Peace University program retails (as of this writing) for $109. While Dayton does not have enough space in 252 pages to go into the level of detail Ramsey does in his 13-week FPU program, he does cover the essentials of the “Money Map” 7-step plan with enough information and perspective to help people succeed.

Individual Emphasis. Your Money Map was primarily designed for individuals, but can be used for small groups (excellent discussion questions at the end of each section). Financial Peace University, on the other hand, was primarily designed for small groups, but can be used by individuals. There are, of course, trade-offs. The individual all-in-one-book approach makes it easier for the average person to grab onto (and hopefully use), while small groups are known for holding members accountable over time and encouraging behavior changes.

Web Support. The Your Money Map book corresponds with an excellent, optional, and free web resource (www.crownmoneymap.org). The design is similar to some of the fitness web sites (i.e. Weight Watchers) that provide users with encouraging video testimonials, a personal log to track progress, and other helpful tools to encourage people in the process. Please note that for every “destination” on the roadmap, Crown offers optional resources for purchase from its vast supply of published books, CDs, tools, etc.

Fun. For those who associate Crown Financial Ministries with in-depth Bible studies for mature believers who are employed in the accounting profession, Your Money Map represents a fresh new “face” for Crown, with generous use of cartoons, “startling stats”, engaging graphics, an “It’s Time to Party!” section, and a “Hey Howard” email service for your questions (with a cartoon icon of Howard’s face on the web version). Though these improvements aren’t as funny or engaging as Ramsey is in his “live” FPU video series, they certainly make Your Money Map a fun and easy read for the average person.

Something to be aware of:

In addition to building its reputation on a comprehensive biblical approach to money management, Crown Financial Ministries is also known for going beyond the “how-to’s” of financial stewardship to also provide the “why” behind it all. Your Money Map is no exception, devoting the first 103 pages (nearly half the book!) to introductory perspective and “preparing for the journey” content before it gets into the “Money Map” 7-step plan.

Available at:  Crown Financial Ministries